Comments on: Win? Maybe?

By: Harmun

Harmun — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:12:13 +0000

The shipping is actually fairly simple, if it’s blizz who ships it. I’ll bet, however, that they’re drop shipping it- having the supplier send them out. Generally, each supplier needs to set up an agreement with every country they want to be able to service.

By: Siha

Siha — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:34:50 +0000

Furthermore, note that the blue post specified shipping obstructions, not export regulations, as the problem.
I should note that I have no problem with Blizzard selling it to the North Americans first – better some people get it early than _everyone_ getting it late, after all. My issue is with their hedging about the issue of resolving _shipping_ problems overseas.

By: Siha

Siha — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:32:49 +0000

Encryption export regulations are a very good reason for the hedging about there being a solution, and I hadn’t thought of those – good answer.

That said, however, I know of Aussies who’ve bought the PayPal equivalent dongle, which is – I believe – operating on the same strength of encryption.

By: Suicidal Zebra

Suicidal Zebra — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:38:47 +0000

I was under the impression that the limit on shipping the Authenticator outside the US was because of trade export regulations on shipping equipment involved in encryption/decryption. Thus it’s less Blizz’s fault than that of the US Government (not that that is a comfort to the poor Canadians and Australians).

If Blizz US Billing they can’t sort their stuff out I guess that trying to buy one from the EU shop and having it shipped to you from there may be worth it. That is, when it becomes available again, which may be some time…

By: Revaan

Revaan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:46:50 +0000

The US has pretty strong laws regulating the shipment of all encryption technology, and I’m guessing that’s the snag they ran into. Basically, the encryption has to be at or below a certain standard before it can be exported, and I think that applies to everything, including video game account encryptions.

By: Ogre

Ogre — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:56:18 +0000

Cmon, dont be snide! The reason they couldent make that availiable is that they didnt want to delay, as they said. The delay is because it is more difficult than you may think to ship an electronic device overseas.

Go to Amazon.com (the american mirror) and try to buy an electronic device, and have that shipped to another country. Cant do it.

When Blizzard makes this availiable to non-US customers, they will do it through a vendor in your home country (or, near your home country, I bet its a fair shake easier to ship from a European country to a European country.

Short answer, Americans are pigs, we like to make things hard.